Shoe spike



A. G. MERLIN Jan. 8, 1952 SHOE SPIKE Filed Dec. 2, 1949 INVENTOR. ALF/e50 G. Maw. IN

- An on/v f iii Patented Jan. 8, 1952 assaosa sfion SPIKE 1 Alfred ill Merlin, Cleveland, Ohio Q 7 Application December 2, 1949, Serial No. 130, 43

The invention relates to spikes or ealksffor shoes and particularly to an inte ral inetalarticle of-this character s uitable for shoes usedfor athletic purposes, such as golf shoes.

The objects of the invention are to provide an article of the character stated which can be economically manufacturedand thus sold at a reasonable price, which can be readily and conveniently securely applied to the shoe, which will remain securely fastened even though the leather to which it is applied expands and shrinks, and which will readily pierce the ground of hard golf fairways and thus reduce slippage to a minimum.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain means illustrating the improvements in shoe spikes, the same presenting, however. only a few of the iciaim. (o1. 36. 59)

,, m mber or the spike being embedded in the heel. This embedded retaining member comprises a square nut 4 seated in the exterior heelv layer Band having a flange 5 which is confined between the heel layers 6 and '1, as clearly shown in Figure 2. The nuts 4 are first seated in suitable holes formed in the outer heel layer 6 and. then various forms in which the principle of the invention may be embodied.

In said annexed drawing:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan of a shoe showing a plurality of the improved metal spikes applied to the sole and heel thereof;

,Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation, upon an enlarged scale, of a shoe, showing the heel thereof in transverse section, to which heel one of the improved spikes has been applied and another spike is being applied;

Figure 3 is an exploded view, upon an enlarged scale. showing the improved spike in elevation with a loose washer therefor in section,and a nut member which is embedded in the shoe sole or heel and forms a retaining member for the spike; 1

Figure 4 is a bottom plan of the retaining memher which is embedded in the shoe sole or heel, the figure being taken from the plane of the line 4-4, Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan of the metal spike, the figure being taken from the plane indicated by the line 5-5, Figure 3; and

Figures 6 and '7 are views similar to Figure 5 in which the frusto-conical stud of the spike is formed with a different number of certain splines, hereinafter fully described, than are formed upon the stud shown in Figure 5.

Referring to the annexed drawing in which the same parts are indicated by the same respective numbers in the several views, a shoe I has sole and heel parts 2 and 3, respectively. to which are applied a multiplicity of the improved spikes. as is illustrated in Figure 1.

In the drawing, the application of the improved spike is shown to the shoe heel 3. a retaining ;the layer 6 secured to the layer 1 with the flanges 5' securely confined therebetween.

The spike is secured to the nut 4 by means of an exteriorly threaded end of a stem H. The opposite end of the spike is a cone shaped formation having the ground-engaging terminal portion 8 and a plurality of downwardly-converging spaced longitudinal recesses forming a number of spaced exterior lengthwise-extending downwardly-tapered splines or flutes 9 having downwardly-converging side walls, four such splines 9 being shown in Figures 3 and 5 whose downward projection is inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the stud, said splines alternating with the downwardly-converging recesses. The inner or upper ends of the splines 9 merge into a flange or base l0 from the upper surface of which the threaded stem ll extends. The inner or bottom cylindrical part II of the stem II is plain. A washer l2 loosely surrounds the inner unthreaded part II of the stem II and seats against the outer face of the shoe sole or heel, this washer l2 being of strengthened formation as illustrated by the corrugated part l3 thereof.

The washer I2 is applied before the stem H is formed with a thread. This is effected by passing the washer l2 over the unthreaded stem H and then cold rolling the thread on the stem H, the thread being of slightly greater diameter than the hole I2 in the washer I2 so that after the thread is formed the washer I2 is retained by the threaded stem H.

The depth of the unthreaded part H of the stem H is somewhat greater than the thickness of the washer l2, and the diameter of the hole I2 of the Washer 12 is somewhat greater than the diameter of the cylindrical unthreaded part H so that the washer I2 is loose upon the part II and can also play somewhat lengthwise thereof to accommodate expansion and contraction of the heel layers 6 and 1 due to the effect of moisture or of a drrying out thereof.

In the form of the device shown in Figure 6, the splines l8 of the stud I! are three in number.

and in Figure 7 the splines 20 of the stud I! are six in number.

The splines 9 provide means for securely gripping the stud 8 by the jaw it of a tool l5, which WhatIc-laim'is:

application and removal of the spikes and also provide that the application thereof can be made: very positively to secure a solid seating (ifth'e same and also to provide a positive and conveni 5 ent removal thereof.

An important further advantage 'of thesplirid shoe spike is that this formation readily pierces the ground of hard golf fairways andprevehts" lateral or sidewi se movement of the golf shoe thereon; thereby reducing slippage -tb*a*mim- 2m; meg-m1 metals lfoe semen eqnei-snapedstud said stii'dhaving apm a ntypr spaced exterior lengthwise xtending' splines; he

" latter having aswawamiy ebnvergifig side vans.

the downward protection of said splines being inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the stud. said stud further having downwardly-converging recesses intermediate said splines, said spike having an enlarged flange intermediate the stem and stud, the upper ends of the splines merging into said enlarged flange.

ALFRED G. MERLIN.

the following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Numbeg, I Name Date $25,194 Buck Aug. 25, 1885 1.369%619". .3611 J; Dec. 25, 1928 2,989,459 White; Aug. 10, 1937 2,18 5;39'7 Birchfield Jan. 2, 1940 May 2fl, 1949 99,863 sweden rra 

